Canola Oil Versus Corn Oil

Canola oil and corn oil are sometimes mistaken for the same product although
they are made from different plants and have discernible taste differences. Here
is a little background on these commonly used vegetable oils and how they
compare to each other in terms of taste and nutrition.

Canola Oil

Canola oil is made from rapeseed, an oilseed plant that has been cultivated
since ancient times as a fuel source. In the 1970's, Canadian plant scientists
came out with a genetically modified version of rapeseed that produces an oil
with a different nutritional profile and much less erucic acid than oil derived
from the naturally occurring plant. The resulting oil was dubbed "Canola" which
stands for "Canadian oil, low acid".

Canola oil is commonly used in frying, but only with medium frying
temperatures, about 450 degrees F. It is also used for marinades, salad
dressings, margarine, in recipes that call for vegetable oil, and to grease cake
pans and cookie sheets. Non-food uses for canola oil include animal feed,
industrial lubricants, biofuels, candles, lipsticks, and newspaper inks.

Corn Oil

Corn oil is made from corn germ by a combination of mechanical pressing and
solvent extraction. (The germ is the solid part of a corn kernel - it is
essentially a seed). It is one of the most common cooking oils, where its high
smoke point makes it ideal as a frying oil. It is also used in margarines and in
recipes that call for vegetable oil. Non-cooking uses include biodiesel,
soap, salve, paint, inks, textiles, nitroglycerin, and insecticides.

Corn oil is generally less expensive than other types of oil although its
price has increased in recent years as the demand for corn for ethanol and food
products has grown.

Taste Differences

Corn oil and canola oil both have a relatively neutral taste compared to oils
like olive oil with canola oil being milder tasting than corn oil. Corn oil
tends to impart a slight roasted corn taste to foods made from it at room
temperature - such as mayonnaise - that some people find offensive. However,
this same corn taste enhances the flavor of certain cooked foods such as popcorn
and French fries.

When canola oil is heated to high temperatures such as during deep-frying,
the unsaturated fatty acids in the oil break down and take on a subtle fishy
taste that some people find disagreeable. Corn oil does not produce this fishy
taste.

Health Considerations

Canola oil is considered one of the healthiest of the cooking oils because of
its low saturated fat (about 7%) and high monounsaturated fat (63%) content. It
is a healthier oil than corn oil which is relatively low in terms of unhealthy
saturated fat (12%) but lower in healthful polyunsaturated fats (28%) and
omega-3 fatty acids. Only flaxseed oil surpasses canola oil in its content
of cardio-protective omega-3 fatty acids. Some studies have also indicated that
canola oil may have inhibitory effects on breast cancer although further
research is needed.